


Moving On

by ThatScottishShipper



Series: Fanfic Fortnight [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Beaches, Don’t post to another site, F/F, First Dates, First Kiss, Gay Pearl (Steven Universe), Healing, Love, Minor Alcohol, Moving On, One-Sided Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Past Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Past Relationship(s), Post-Finale, Romantic Fluff, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 19:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21325513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/pseuds/ThatScottishShipper
Summary: After coming a long way and moving on in her life, Pearl decides to get in contact with the Mystery a Girl again, and they get their first date on the beach.*Fanfic Request Fortnight fill.*
Relationships: Mystery Girl/Pearl (Steven Universe), Pearl/Rose Quartz | Pink Diamond
Series: Fanfic Fortnight [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537399
Comments: 13
Kudos: 37





	Moving On

**Author's Note:**

  * For [UrsaeMinoris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UrsaeMinoris/gifts).

At the ocean’s edge, overcome by the reflection of the candy floss clouds inside the water, Pearl pressed a hand to her chest, wondering, “am I ready for this?”

In a systematic catalogue of numbers and crosses, she always held onto  _ that _ one closely. Between clashes with the Diamonds and keeping Steven’s home safe, she often stared at the drifting piece of paper inside her consciousness, obsessing over the numerical code that mysterious human gave her.

_ 301-555-0189. _

_ ~S. _

She called it.

In a dizzying, thoughtless spell, Pearl opened communication with that mesmerising human girl reminded her of Rose Quartz, her…

By the tranquil shores, she touched her hands to her lips, conscious of the discord inside her core. Pearl sometimes contemplated if her interest stemmed from another striking flower?

Too long had been spent fearing that, underneath the curiosity of this hot pink haired human, she saw another Rose Quartz, down to striking rose pink resemblance.

To connect herself to another existence so readily felt like a stinging betrayal to Rose Quartz.

_ To Her Diamond. _

At a time, Pearl never imagined she could move on from that loss twice felt, first to Greg and then to her own son. Moving on meant she lost the only purpose she felt in her life.

Her meaning, her love of something.

But she was ready, beneath the melting orange glow that caressed the entire beach. She did it. She left an awkward, flawed message, and hoped that she had not left enough time pass to regret another loss in her life.

Steven said she deserved this. Garnet and Amethyst said she deserved this.

Then she heard it, in the distance, a revving engine heralding  _ her _ arrival. Sand clouds danced into the air, the wheels of that metallic vehicle racing towards her. But she wasn’t scared.

Even when the motorbike came to a halt inches away, summoning crystal stone particles from the sand, Pearl never moved, captivated by the angel adorned in such casual attire, the very same from the night they met.

Those emerald eyes were framed by the visorless window of her helmet and sensual smokey eye shadow. Once the helmet was whisked off, unruly tangles of rose pink hair tumbled down.

Those human facial decorations Pearl once mistook for Gems still presented themselves confidently. Her ears shone with metallic studs, one or two more since the last time.

_ Oh. _

Two pearl shaped earrings rested in each lobe, catching the sun’s glow. They were subtle, but unmistakable.

Pearl’s cheeks grew warm, unable to believe that - even now - humans were still full of surprises.

That gray ring still hooked around her lower lip.

By the flicker of amusement tugging at the girl’s lips, Pearl realised she stared at them a little too long, but was unsure why that embarrassed her.

Immortalised by the sunset, the mystery girl from her past was as mesmerising as the first time Pearl saw her. And when the human smiled, something inside the Gem shifted, her hold on herself shaky.

_ “Hey.” _

There it was, that voice Pearl longed to hear, encompassing an infinity of meaning in just one word.  _ It’s good to see you again. It’s been awhile. You never called. _

_ I missed you. _

Pearl blurted out before she could control herself. “Hey, hello, hi! Me again! The one from the party! We talked about hair, and you gave me your numerical code? And-”

The girl laughed softly, and Pearl knew her sense of longing was not just a fabrication or misplaced sense of longing. She truly missed this human.

“Don’t worry. I remember you.” She stepped down from the bike, solidly kicking the prop into place with her black leather boot. “How could I forget you?”

xxx

On the beach, the two sat upon a chequered blanket, an ice bucket beside them. A bottle of white wine and a green bottle of beer chilled inside, glistening necks touching in their resting place.

As Pearl twirled the strange glass in her hands, watching the fizzing bubbles inside the wine glass, she was then startled by her companion, cracking a beer open with mastered ease.

“Thought that might be your thing,” the pink-haired girl said with a playful smile.

Attempting to ignore the less than subtle lavender tinged rock hiding giggling life forms, Pearl instead focused on the girl beside her, caressed by the warm sun. She became aware of their closeness, that every time the human shifted, their hips touched gently.

Pearl liked that faintest of contact.

That smile, those soft lips, broke her. “Tell me how you saved ‘my planet and my species’ again?”

And Pearl told her, leaving nothing out as everything she held back behind a shelled heart broke free. It was strangely liberating, pouring out her innermost secrets and struggles to her, to someone that wasn’t her Crystal Gem family, but perhaps, someday, might be?

Somewhere between blabbering about  _ ‘being her own Pearl’  _ and not taking orders anymore, expressing that she wasn’t just someone to be pushed around, the girl placed her lips on hers, a touch as soft as a butterfly‘s wing, then everything stopped. Every obsessive thought, every deliberation on her life and the world around her, ceased to be because Pearl felt something she realised she never did before.

Love without condition. Love for who she was, not as a pearl, but as  _ Pearl _ .

The Gem upon her forehead beamed with moonlight, then in an instant, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only her pearl on the sand. The girl stared down in surprise, even more so when strangers ran towards her, vocalising their concerns for Pearl…

And did that purple rock morph into a person?

She picked the Gem up in her hands carefully, realising this was who she was, that unforgettable stranger with the cool hair, knocking over cups and chattering with excited energy. A strong heart, a rebel, beneath that seemingly fragile appearance.

Pearl was the one.

As Steven blabbered about Pearl “being okay” and “it was a Gem thing,” the pink-haired girl placed a finger against her lips, gently hushing the boy. She understood.

Then she brought the smooth crystal to her lips, placing a small kiss there, before getting to her feet, and carrying her heart’s desire to the house. As far as first official dates went, this might have been unorthodox, but for Sheena?

She could get used to this.

**Author's Note:**

> My very first Fanfic Request Fortnight full, and it’s a Steven Universe story. The prompt was a first date with Pearl and the Mystery Girl.
> 
> I tapped into some of Pearl’s hang ups, but that ultimately, she is moving on in her life. It’s a pretty contrast from her heartbreaking song in the episode, Mr Greg, “It’s Over, Isn’t It?”
> 
> At some point after the season finale, she decides to reunite with the pink-haired girl, and they get a cute little date by the beach that doesn’t end in quite the way they hoped, but still with a sweet ending.
> 
> I opted for the name Sheena for the Mystery Girl as a nod to Zuke giving her that name outside of the show after ‘Sheena is a Punk Rocker’ by the Ramones. 
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. 💖


End file.
